Robert+SevillaLBF

Executive Summary
As of 9.22.08, the EDTEC 670 class and their study subjects submitted approximately 250 responses to the Learning, Boredom and Fun Survey as some of the survey response were not completed and/or incomplete. The study was comprised of 42.5% males and 57.5% Females ranging in age from 7 years to 86 years old. Each respondent was asked to describe a boring learning event and a fun learning event in their lives. The data was reviewed using the Survey Monkey report tools and further analyzed using the paper and pencil method.

What Makes Learning Boring?
My experience with monotone-voiced teachers is that they are tiresome to listen to. When I listen to lecturers, I focus on inflections that accentuate certain words that cue me to the important points. Without these inflections, my tendency is to tune out since I don't know which words are being emphasized.
 * 1) Students from elementary school thru college sadly recount their instructors droning in a monotone voice.** Imax recalls in his elementary science class that everyday they completed assignments in workbooks and "listened to the teacher drawl on in his monotone voice." In his high school literature class, cperez doesn't remember much about it except that "the teacher's monotone voice put me to sleep." Kali's Mom remembers a college nutrition class for dieticians in which her instructor would "get excited about something," but her voice would never change.

I enrolled in an online course at my local junior college. The course was about creating web pages using code. My instructor was very knowledgeable and was working in the industry as a web designer. After completing a few web pages, I noticed that I was not getting any feedback and I didn't know how I was doing. Since I was taking several other courses and was too busy at the time, I decided I would drop that one since I felt that the instructor simply did not care. The only time I had any interaction with her was when I replied to let her know I was adding the class and when I was dropping the class.
 * 2) The lack of teacher/student interaction made students simply feel disconnected and disintrested.** Cassie L sat through a three hour long lecture in which the presenter did not "ask questions form the audience or engage us in any meaningful way." Michael also spent an excruciating three hours listening to his professor reading PowerPoint slides and "there was very little interaction." Obizzle suffered thru "multiple PowerPoints and wordy handouts" and "very little audience participation."


 * 3) Non-relevancy is a significant factor in creating boredom.** Marie says that making a job aid "was boring" because "it did not have anything to do with integrating technology into my classroom." Angie W. relates a college art history class of about 100 students who fall asleep at the end of instructor presentation because "nothing about the course seemed relevant or useful in the future." Rock Monster attended a company planned team-building and learning event and got nothing out of the experience because "the topic was not relevant to me."


 * 4) Experiences that stifled or did not encourage creativity were not enjoyable.** Dancing Queen did not find learning French via cassette tapes an enjoyable experience. She simply felt that "the drills were not imaginative and there was no creativity." Lou took a religious education class which did not require "to think about anything just memorize stuff."

My brother-in-law is originally from the Philippines and attended the university in Manila. When he was earning his engineering degree, they had a computer lab with only keyboards. They had to learn how to program with a keyboard and a text book. He told me that it was one of the most frustrating things he had ever experienced.
 * 5) Without any "hands-on" experiences with some artifact or technology created a learning experience that was lacking.** Appletown Android took part in a technology certification training class and to his chagrin noticed that "there was no hands-on experience with the actual equipment..."

What Makes Learning Fun?

 * 1) The kinesthetic/tactile is an important component in making a fun learning environment.** Weenie describes her being challenged "mentally and physically" when learning how to surf at the Scripps Pier in San Diego. Fannie Mae fondly recalls a high school biology simulation that helped her to understand the "predator-prey relationships." Krest expresses her passion for an outdoor rockclimbing class "where you could see improvement of your skills from before the class to after."


 * 2) Teachers that have warm, positive, and humorous personalities tend to motivate their students to want to learn.** Scientist, a college student, said "the instructor used humor to gain our attention, and personalized the information making it more relevant." Enrolled in a teacher credential course, Pippi remembers "the professor also took an active interest in our personal lives and shared hers with us." Chiseled Gorgeous in his Asian-American history class recollects Professor Tuay who was always making jokes. He writes that "I felt I was able to learn in this style because I was able to remember the humor connected to the lesson."


 * 3) Interaction with the instructor was a major component for helping the learner more receptive for learning.** Linda K. who learned how to paint with water colors fondly recalls how important it was to have "interaction with the teacher."


 * 4) A class that is intellectually stimulating and challenging inspires students.** JJ took a beginning class in Fortran taught by a professor specializing in artificial intelligence. "Even though this was a beginning class, he offered problems and program assignments that were challenging, made you think, and required some creativity to complete. it wasn't just rote memorization."


 * 5) Teachers that are passionate about their subject share their enthusiasm with their students.** As an eighth grader, Freaky Frog took a French class and remembers his teacher for helping "students retain what they learned through interactive and inspiring lessons. The teacher was passionate about the French language and she easily transferred her enthusiasm to the students." Emma Z enrolled in a Greek mythology college course and vividly remembers her professor teaching the course through storytelling. "He was animated, detailed, and fun. The material we were expected to learn was brought to life through his style of lecture."

Implications
The criteria I chose for both categories reflects my experiences as a student and a teacher. As a student, I've sat thru ineffective teachers and excellent ones. As a teacher, I've experienced which teaching methods work well and which ones fail badly. During the process of completing this exercise, I wanted to begin emulating the characteristics of effective teachers and avoid the ineffective ones. I've also noticed that I already do most of the things that helps to create a fun environment but now I am just more keenly aware of it.

I have made a conscious effort to speak with inflections to get my points across. Sometimes my inflections come out in a humorous manner and my students will repeat what I said and then chuckle. I am noticing that students are recalling the information with inflections in their voices as well. For example, the term "upload" is accompanied with an accent on the first syllable and their fingers pointing away from their computers while "download" is accompanied with a low voice on the first syllable and pointing to their computer.

I really enjoy using humor in my instruction as it really makes the students tune in. For example, at the beginning of each semester I have a new group of students enter my computer elective class. After we review the lab rules, I show them a video I put together that discusses the rules in a humorous manner and also gives them a preview of what they will be learning.

After the fourth week of school, I assigned my students a video project of which I usually reserve for the end of the semester. This year was different however as I wanted to give my students the opportunity to videotape outdoors before the weather started getting wet and cold. The students who are kinesthetic and tactile learners really thrive in this activity. Which reminds me - I just wrote a grant for a Lego® Mindstorms® NXT system which introduces students to building robots and programming. If the grant goes through, my kinesthetic and tactile learners will once more have the opportunity to excel.

Finally, I am twice fortunate that I am teaching a subject that for me and my students are passionate about. I'm not sure if it's my enthusiasm that inspires them or their enthusiasm that inspires me.